New guy, an attempt at the elbow engine.

[rustyknife]

Progress has been slow, It's been hot, humid, I've been sick and they opened an irish pub not a mile from the house

Pre-warning....I have been hosting all of my photos through facebook, I decided facebook is the devil and am deleting it tonight.

I promise I will get all photos back up shortly!!!

Please bear with me

Eric

 

[Tin Falcon]

Looks like good progress rusty just push forward as you can.
Tin

 

[rustyknife]

Heat wave died off and I'm still here....unfortunately my camera died when I left it in the garage to bake for 4 weeks at 375*

I managed to acquire a new better camera, but there was some time lapse magic of slight progress before I was able to get my new one.

I have one valve port done now

Off topic rant. Can everyone still see my previous photos? I'm slightly upset....I deleted my facebook(and its really gone, I waited the mandatory 14 days, and can no longer log in as my account no longer exists) but all of my pictures are still hosted there just fine, meaning they saved all of my information and data and are keeping it forever. VERY creepy, VERY not happy. I deleted 90 percent of my data before deleting my account thank goodness....

 

[ShedBoy]

Engine is looking great so far, well done. As for face book I deactivated my account when I got sent some virtual grass and a virtual garden gnome ??? While pondering what to do with this I looked out my window and noticed I needed to mow my non virtual old school grass. DE_ACTIVATE. I love a conspiracy theory and one I read lately is that face book is actually owned by the CIA and the whole ypoung bloke story is a front. Would not suprise me.
There again the net was originally for the military. Are we being watched. Sounds like a new thread to me. These elbow engines fascinate me, keep the pics coming.
Brock

 

[rustyknife]

Well I was stressing out about what I was going to do for a flywheel. I didn't have any suitable material and was pretty sure it needed at least SOME mass to it. Went down to the metal getting place and found these gems. Ones mans rusted up piece of scrap pipe is another mans....um err....flywheel? ;D

Faced off each side so it would be easier to work with.

I'm not sure what sort of black magic you lathe guys use for boring stuff, but it just isn't up my alley. I'm much more at home using a mill. I bored the center out and everything will be cut based on this bore, so it really only needed to be somewhat close.

I went back to the lathe, chucked it from the inside and cleaned up the outside....its a pretty nice looking piece of iron ore now.

The pipe does have a seam in it....minor cosmetic flaw....I'm not too worried about it. Wrapped it in VCI paper for safe keeping.

Thats it for tonight folks

 

[maverick]

Great progress Rusty. One of the things I like about this hobby (affliction?) is finding the solution
to the current problem. Lightbulb moments are sweet.

Mike

 

[rustyknife]

Ok Ok, I admit it, I have ADD and cannot focus on one thing at a time....fly wheel is not done yet and all day I have been pondering how I am going to bend my pistons. I've actually been thinking about it for weeks. I came up with an idea for a jig and constructed it, I would love some input as to if you think this will work before I actually bend the pistons tomorrow. I'm almost 99% sure it should work. Here it is

I had a VERY hefty chunk of trailer hitch to work with, haven't seen one quite this big

I fly cut the top and then whittled across it with a 21/64 carbide endmill

Then I whittled the opposite direction and ended up with this

 

[rustyknife]

Took a 1/4 endmill and cut a slot, also relieved the corner for bending clearance.

Why is the tab there? well....that's where I want my set screws for clamping one side on the piston. In THEORY, if I place the set screws above center of the piston, it will not only clamp it to the other side, but also apply downward pressure and hold it to the bottom of the groove. I had a couple 10/32 set screws laying around.

First I candle blacked the area for a marking compound, then placed the piston on it and slide it back and forth to mark its center point.

 

[rustyknife]

I then drilled an tapped for my 10-32 set screws slightly above the centerline and this is what I have for a jig.

It looks to me like I should just be able to heat it up red hot and bend it over, as long as I'm touching the side and the bottom it should be perfectly square.

If I have overlooked something, please tell me before I start bending tomorrow lol!

 

[m_kilde]

RustyKnife

Thanks for sharing a great build with us.

Dont forget to put some shim between the crubscrew and piston before you bend the pistons.

I'm excitede to know is the piston will stay in 90° or tend to fall back a little

 

[Foozer]

I just bent same items for my attempt of an Elbow Engine. They wanted to spring back a bit but not enough that a little hand tweak wouldn't fix. The clamp side of your jig will act as a heat sink. Long as the bend area is free from tool marks and ample heat applied, should take the bend easy without cracking.

Robert

 

[Noitoen]

???I've always wondered if the curved part of the elbow engine's piston couldn't be made from flexible shaft or speedometer cable ???

 

[rustyknife]

Ok bending will be on sunday....ADD kicked in again ;D

I decided to poke the holes in the base for the valve port....there was a lot of math involved and I think a few brain cells died.

Squared it up to the flywheel post.

Found the edges and found center. Whoever invented edge finders is amazing.

Started poking my holes

My air holes lined up perfect with the long ports drilled through the base, which is awesome since that indicates I got the base spot on to the flywheel post.

There was some drilling and countersinking, now I have a neat valve port on the base

 

[rustyknife]

Well, I turned up a cylinder pin....and bent the tip of it in the process. I'd like to blame it on harmful harmonic oscillations in the earth, or HHO's as I call them, but that's really just a blatant lie for operator error.

I'm not sure why but I went ahead and finished it out. Call me crazy, I should have started again, but I've done stranger things. I guess I just wanted to see if it would work. The base is threaded 4,75 and the hole in the middle is 5,80 with a cap screw down the middle. Looks like it will work good. Too bad the guy making it goofed up.

Tomorrow will be another day, and full of progress

Regards,

Eric

 

[Tin Falcon]

Looks like the engine is progressing nicely.
Tin

 

[rustyknife]

Well I just realized the a very critical area to be noted during the build. Its so simple and most probably already see it, but its worth noting. I realize now why the original plans call for the cylinder pins to be studded to the valve port. I did not do it this way, and it isnt mandatory, but if you just thread the end of your cylinder pins, you must relief cut the back side or it will NOT sit flat against the port. Not now, not ever.

If you do not relief cut it like the REAR cylinder pin, the curled edge of the thread will not allow it to sit flat. No big deal though.

Heres a side view. It must be cut like the right side.

All sits much better, I'm getting excited now.

P.S. Do not forget to mark the direction of the flywheel post so it can be assembled in the same orientation.

Regards,

Eric

 

[rustyknife]

Kept trudging on.

Bent the pistons today. I will admit, the first one broke, other two bent great. The first one was then clamped in the jig tightly and gas welded. Checked them all for square. Pistons 2 and 3 had to be touched up a fuzz, 3 and 4 thousanths respectively, which actually wasn't that big a deal at all with a dead blow sitting in the vise while I was checking them.

Piston one which was welded.....Bang on perfect. Not even half a thousanth out. This might be the way I build any more in the future.

Poked some holes for the flywheel post

Trimmed the pistons down to size.

I decided I have enough junk pieces laying around to assemble it and see what it looks like. Guess what, with the junk flywheel valve port and junk axle pin for the flywheel cylinder.....it still all rotates freely!!!!!!!!! ;D Very excited.

It's starting to look like something now for sure.

I'm amazed and bewildered at its movement.....I may spin it so much I might wear it out before it even runs lol

 

[SBWHART]

Looking real good Eric

You could try running it without the flywheel, I've seen vids of elbows running with no fly wheel.

Don't forget it likes sticky oil.

Are you planning on remaking the valve ports?.

Stew

 

[rustyknife]

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I've seen it work....it goes both directions quite well. How awesome.

It has many air leaks still, especially between the base port and the base, I haven't fitted any o-rings as of yet

I'm taking the night off. Haha

Yes I am remaking the flywheel valve port. The port I actually have mounted there is a flat one that I had buggered up that was for the base, I need to remake one with the rear protrusion to sit into the flywheel upright. I assume this is needed to take the weight of the flywheel.

It's awesome to see something you've worked so hard on actually, well....work lol I've never made an engine from scratch before.

 

[rustyknife]

Everyone likes videos

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=netn3NuHdbo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=netn3NuHdbo[/ame]